Whether you were alive in the '80s or have only been around for reruns, The Golden Girls
is still just as relatable as ever.
The sitcom, named one of the greatest of all time by TV Guide Magazine, was an undeniable
highlight for the stars of the show.
All of them continued to lead incredible careers — with pretty big paychecks, too.
Yet, they didn't all end up at exactly the same spot on the pay scale.
So who wound up being the wealthiest star from the show?
When Rue McClanahan was first trying to break onto our television screens, there weren't
many agents who wanted to represent her.
While accepting her Emmy for The Golden Girls in 1987, McLanahan admitted:
"They said I wasn't photogenic, and that I would never work on television."
Yet, that wasn't the only part of her success story.
Over the course of her acting career, McClanahan, who died in 2010, built herself up to be worth
around $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
When McClanahan was cast as Blanche, she finally found financial security in her acting career.
By the time the series wrapped up in 1992, The Golden Girls was already in syndication,
which is highly lucrative for both a show's producers and its stars.
Still, there was more money to be made.
It was then that the spin-off The Golden Palace was born.
Writing in her autobiography, My First Five Husbands ... And the Ones Who Got Away, McClanahan
had this to say:
"The new show only had to last three seasons to go into syndication.
More megabucks."
Unfortunately for everyone's wallet, the series only lasted a single season.
Estelle Getty spent much of her early career acting on stage — but the pay was never
that great.
In order to keep the lights on, she worked as a secretary in her spare time.
She would sneak off to auditions during her lunch breaks, and the day she walked in to
read for The Golden Girls was a day that would forever change her life.
According to The New York Times, Getty told her son:
"After 50 years in the business, I'm an overnight success."
After her casting, she built herself up to be worth nearly $8 million, according to Celebrity
Net Worth.
Over the course of playing Sophia for seven seasons, Getty, who died in 2008, was nominated
for seven Emmys and eventually brought one home in 1988.
This Golden Girl also had three Golden Globe nominations to her name, winning in 1986.
During her career, she also enjoyed a role alongside Cher in Mask and in the children's
classic Stuart Little.
Though Bea Arthur was already a Tony award-winning Broadway actor, transitioning to television
wasn't an easy feat for her.
She also wasn't used to having celebrity status.
The fame came after her starring role in the sitcom Maude, but it escalated even further
when she made her debut as Dorothy in The Golden Girls.
She was worth around $25 million before she died in 2009, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Over the course of her television career, Arthur was nominated for 11 Emmys.
She won two of them and was even inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Fans obviously loved seeing her on their TV screens, but there still seemed to be something
missing in Arthur's life.
After appearing as Dorothy for seven seasons, she decided it was time to move on from sitcoms.
Arthur explained on This Morning:
"I've spent most of my adult life in, you know, that little box.
And I really felt it was time to go back to one's roots — the theater."
Arthur would go on to spend the last few years of her life appearing on stage.
The richest Golden Girl by far is Betty White.
Since starring as Rose for seven seasons, White has made herself a household name.
Interestingly enough, she actually started out in show business working for free.
When she locked in one of her very first acting jobs, her father may have been even more excited
than she was.
"He was so thrilled that I had a job."
Apparently, the check she received from one gig only covered half the money needed for
the actors' union.
Noting how she had to borrow money from her father for the rest, White joked,
"He said, 'If you don't work too often, we could almost afford it.'"
Luckily, she's come a long way since.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, White has a net worth of $75 million today.
When the series officially wrapped in 1992, she went on to another recurring role in a
sitcom called Hot in Cleveland and continued to make many other television appearances.
She even won an Emmy for hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live.
White joked on Good Morning America:
"It's incredible you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with
you."
Yet, even if they didn't, Collider reported that White is still raking in $3 million each
and every year from The Golden Girls reruns alone.
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